No Injuries In Structural Failure Of Wilderness Park Bridge

At about 11:30 a.m. today, a pedestrian bridge in Wilderness Park above Salt Creek experienced some type of structural failure and dipped 12 to 15 feet in the middle. The center of the bridge is now about six feet above the creek. About 20 people were on the bridge, most of them elementary school age children in the Wilderness Nature Camp. They were able to run off the bridge. Camp staff took care of minor injuries, and no one was taken to the hospital. Parks and Recreation staff are contacting all the parents to let them know about the incident.

The cause of the failure is not yet known. The bridge is about a half mile north of Saltillo Road and was built in 2003. After the bridge had a structural failure during construction, the design was changed, reviewed and approved by a certified engineer before the City took ownership of it. Mayor Chris Beutler commended the camp staff for their handling of the situation. He also directed that three actions be taken:

The City Public Works and Utilities Department has begun an immediate visual inspection of the remaining 11 trail bridges in Wilderness Park. Most of those bridges are over smaller tributaries. This particular bridge and one other in the middle of the park have been blocked off.

A complete study will be conducted to find out why the bridge was deficient.

The City will complete a review of the pedestrian bridge inspection program. Parks and Recreation and Public Works and Utilities had already started the review.